L.A. Clippers Finally Showing Signs of Expected Excellence After Slow Start

It took six games to work out some kinks, but the Los Angeles Clippers (4-2) finally showed signs of the excellence we've become accustomed to in Saturday afternoon's 106-102 win over the Portland Trail Blazers (3-3). 

Despite trailing by nine points at halftime, the Clippers displayed impressive resilience, employing a shared offensive approach that ultimately derailed Portland's quest to capture a third straight victory.

After outscoring the Blazers by 13 (53-40) in the second half, L.A. finished the day shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from three-point range. 

Coincidentally, the Clippers' offensive breakout came on the day head coach Doc Rivers decided to make a slight modification to his starting lineup by replacing Matt Barnes with Jamal Crawford on the wing. 

But it was J.J. Redick, dropping a game-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting (2-of-3 from three), who shined throughout. According to Basketball-Reference.com, Saturday marked just the second time in Redick's career that he shot better than 80 percent from the field when attempting at least 10 shots. 

And in order for the offense to meet its massive potential, the Clippers may need Redick to knock down jumpers with aplomb moving forward. 

Prior to Saturday's win, Redick hadn't canned more than four shots in a single game this season, topping out at 15 points on 3-of-9 shooting in the Clippers' 118-101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Halloween. 

Saturday was also the first time this season that at least three Clippers players scored 20 points in a single game. Chris Paul tallied 22 points and 11 assists, Blake Griffin added 23 (8-of-24 shooting) and Crawford chipped in 20 on 7-of-16 shooting (3-of-5 from three) in the win. 

As a team, it was far and away L.A.'s most complete win to date, one that was sorely needed after several uncharacteristically sluggish outings to open the season. 

Case in point: A year ago, the Clippers scored 93 points or fewer just 10 times. In two of the team's first three games this season, it failed to meet that low bar. Furthermore, Los Angeles opened the 2014-15 campaign with two sub-40 percent shooting performances after totaling eight such games last season. 

Incidentally, the Clippers' signature win of this young season came on an afternoon when the team deviated from its early offensive philosophy. In underwhelming showings against the Lakers, Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors and a depleted Oklahoma City Thunder, L.A. chucked a massive 27.2 threes per game. 

Against the Blazers, that total slipped to 12 (14.8 percent of L.A.'s total attempts), with Redick and Crawford combining to make all five of the team's triples. 

Instead, Paul operated as a mid-range assassin, shooting 8-of-13 between 16-24 feet, while Griffin knocked down 41.7 percent of his attempts from the same distance. 

Griffin's final numbers may not look exceptional on paper, but when Clippers fans consider that he was battling a stomach bug and outscored LaMarcus Aldridge in a battle of elite power forwards, they will find that they're in no position to complain. 

Just take it from Paul, who praised Griffin's gutsy effort, according to the Los Angeles Times' Ben Bolch: 

Following Griffin's lead, the Clippers finally displayed the moxie that's come to define the back-to-back Pacific Division champions. 

It's been a long time coming, too, considering the Clippers haven't looked like a cohesive unit dating back to an underwhelming 2-6 preseason, even in winning efforts. In their triumphs against the Jazz, Lakers and Thunder—clubs that own a combined record of 3-14—the Clippers managed an average margin of victory of 5.3 points. 

So while it remains unclear if they have completely weathered the storm, a silver lining has emerged.

In the face of adversity, with plenty of ugly ball to show for it, the Clippers have compiled a 4-2 record, while the Blazers sit at 3-3 despite possessing a resume that includes thrashings of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks. 

In order to put this stretch behind them once and for all, though, the Clippers will need to show similar competitive mettle as they wrap up a four-game homestand with showdowns against the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and Chicago Bulls.